Window cornice



July 22, 1941. J. H. BOYE WINDOW CORNICE Filed Jan. 27,.1941

Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED TES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW CORNICE James II. Boye; Chicago, Ill, assignor to James H. Boye Manufacturing Company, Chicago 111.,

a corporation of Illinois Application January 27, 1941, Serial No. 376,088

12 Claims hooks or hems by which curtains and drapes are suspended in front of Windows, and, in general, to lend an ornamental effect to the upper portion of the curtains or drapes.

One object of the present invention has been toprovide a strong and rigid cornice structure: of ample depth to effectively conceal the rods and brackets from which the curtains or drapes are hung, and which may be made to a fixed length, or adjustable to-longer or shorter lengths to fit windows of varying widths, and with a minimum of trouble to adjust the ornamentalelements of the cornice to such variations in the length of the latter.

Ihese window cornices are usually equipped with aframe structure and panels mounted in or on frame structure which carries the ornamentation. In some-cases this panel ispainted or colored to match the curtains or drapes; and in others itis associated with an ornamental grill as a backing for the latter. Another object of thelinventionhasbeen to provide a structure'for affording the ornamental effect which can be very easily changed to match drapes having different patterns or designs, and to this end the cornice of the present application includes a strip of cloth to match the drapes mounted in the frame, and preferably mounted on a thin panel of a flexible sheet material which ex-' tends the full length of the frame and readily conforms to the-curved portions of thelatter.

A further object ofthe invention has beentoprovide; in association with such panel and its cloth covering, an improved backing therefor which shall also serve as a spacer for the upperand lower members ofthe frame andmaintain said members in perfect parallelism. A still further object of the inventionhas been to provide in-association with a cornice of the character described, means by which a rod for supporting the drapes may be mounted and supported; directly on the. rearwardlyr directed, arms..ofthe cornice itself.

' Still other objectsand attendantladvantages of; the invention will be; apparent to persons ia-- milian with curtain fixturesyandi other window trimmings from the follovring'detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing; wherein'l have. illustrated; a practical and preferred'=. embodiment of the: invent tion; and in which- Fig. 1 is-a perspective elevati'onof my" improved window cornice; showing also a portion of apair of depending drapes.

Fig; 2' is atop-plan view of Fig. 1, including a curtainrod located behind the cornice and supported onthe latter, for-suspendinga pairof' drapes.-

'Flg=. 3 is-a rear elevation of the cornice and curtain rod structure"- shown in Figs; 1 and 2.

Fig; 4 is an enlarged vertical section -taken on the line 4-4 of'Fig; 3.

Fig. 5 i's-an enlarged fragmentary vertical sect-i'cn taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is aperspective view of part of-"a-cla:rnp for attaching the uppera'nd lower edges of the" spacers to the upper and lowerlongitiidin'al rods of the framestructure.

Fig.- 7- is an enlarged vertical section taken on'theline 1 -1 of Fig. 2%

Fig: 8- is a perspective elevation of the bracket preferablyemployed for removably supporting" the cornice" on and spaced from the window frame;

Referring to the drawing; the frame of the cornice comprises upper and lower parallel rods designated' as entireties by HT and H respec'-- tively', and uprightbars 'l-2 riveted to and con necting tlie=outenendsofi rods IO-andll. The rods 10 and I-l preferably, and as herein shown, take the formof the-well known fiat curtain rods which are formedwith rearwardlyand in wardly extendingflanges I3 on their upper and lowenedges'. The-cornice-ispreferablymadeer: tensibl'elengthwise' to fit windows of varying widths; and for thlSPllIDOSethTO'd i0 is formed with telescoping sections l-Pandl5; and the rod H is similarly formed with telescoping sections I8 and Hi Bheouter' end: portions'cf therod sections I4 'and l5 areb'ent'rearwardlyas shownat I4 and I5; and thetelescoping'se'ctions l6 and H are similarly bent rearwardl'y'asshown at 16 and b1 formingintegral armsfor supporting' the comicson suitablebrackets t8 attached to the window frame.-

Lying between and extending the full length" of the frame rods 10 and II is athin' panel I9 of flexible sheet material; such as oi1ed cardboard; that; of" course; fits the curvature of the corner portions=ofthe frame, and forms asupport for a clothcovering 20 that overlapsthe top and bottom edges andtherear sideof the panel, the overlapping portions being united by' stit ha namental effect; this clotli covering i's-print'ed or embroidered to display figuresindicated at 22 that, as shown in Fig. 1, match the figures of the drapes 23.

Behind the cloth covered panel are an intermediate plate 24 and a pair of end plates 25, preferably of thin sheet metal, which serve the double function of backing the panel l3 and spacing the upper and lower frame rods l and H. The end plates conform to the curvature of the rounded corners of the cornice and extend the full length of the arms. The intermediate plate 24, when applied, is a flat rectangular plate of a length considerably greater than the distance between the rods l0 and II. shown in Fig. 3, there is normally a considerable space between the inner ends of the end plates 25 and the opposed ends of the intermediate plate 24, to afford a considerable range of adjustment of the length of the cornice.

To give these plates the function of spacers for the rods 'Ill and H, the longitudinal edge portions of the plates are formed with ribs 26 best shown in Fig. 4; these ribs being conveniently created by die-pressing the metal of the plates inwardly. These ribs 26 bear on the free edges of the outer flanges of the two rods, as shown in Fig. 4. The upper and lower edge portions of the plates 24 and are removably secured to the frame rods l5 and H by means of clamps best shownin Figs. 5 and 6. Each clamp includes a rectangular strip 2! of-a size .to be entered within the rod with its upper and lower edges in slidable contact with the upper and lower flanges I3, but of a length such that it cannot be turned within the rod. The strip 21 has a central hole 28, through which is driven a threaded stud29. To render the stud non-rotatable in the strip 21, the shank of the stud is formed with a ring of teeth of slightly larger diameter than the hole 28, sothat, as a stud is driven through the strip the teeth 3|! bite into the margin of the hole 28. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the inner flange |3 of the rod bears against the adjacent longitudinal edge portion of the cloth covered panel I9; and the stud 29 extends through a hole 3| (Fig. 5) in the longitudinalmargin portion of each of the plates 24 and 25, and a-wing nut 32 on the stud 29 when turnedup hard securely clamps the backing and spacing plate, the cloth covered panel and the frame rod together. A single pair (upper and lower) of such clamps applied to each of the panel. backing and rod spacing plates 24 and 25 is ampleto secure the rigidity of the cornice structure.- It will be observed that when the cornice is mounted these clamps are concealed and invisible from the front.'

. As is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the intermediate backing and spacing plate 24 is slightly bowed or cambered longitudinally, and the clamps are applied at its longitudinal center. The result of this is that, when the clamps are tightened, the plate is flattened, and this insures the engagement of the ribs 26 throughout their full length with the flanges |3 of the frame rods H] and H.

When it is desired to adjust the length of the cornice, this is easily effected by simply backing off the wing nuts 32, withdrawing the spacing plates 24 and 25, and the panel and its covering and then telescoping the two sections of theframe inwardly or outwardly. A newpanel'and cloth covering, both out to a length suitable to fit the adjusted frame are then inserted, the plates and '25 are then replaced, and the nuts 32 reapplied to and screwed up on'the studs 29.

With a view to enabling both the cornice and the drapes to be removed by a single operation. I have, provided a drape supporting rod that is itself removably mounted on the inwardly directed arms of the cornice structure. Describing this feature, on each of the upright frame bars |2 I mount an upstanding pin 33, best shown in Figs. 3 and '7. 34 designates a telescopic flat curtain rod structurally identical with the cornice rods H! and H, the rearwardly extending arms of which are formed with registering apertures 35 in their upper and lower flanges that fit down over the pins 33. This curtain rod 34 is removably supported mid-length thereof by an angle bracket 36, most clearly shown in Fig. 4, that is spot-welded, riveted, or otherwise secured to the rear side of the backing plate 24. The two drapes 23 are suspended from the portions of the rod 34 lying on either side of the bracket 36. By reason of this construction both the cornice and the drapes can be removed simulta neously, or the rod 34 with the drapes hung therefrom may alone be removed.

It remains to briefly describe a preferred 'form of bracket for supporting the inner ends of the arms of the cornice on the window frame. This bracket 18 is shown in Fig. 8 and comprises a flat upright plate 31 having holes 38 for the application of attaching screws. On the upper end of the plate 31 is a horizontal forward extension 39 on which is mounted a vertical pin 40. On the lower end of the plate 31 is a somewhat longer horizontal extension 4| terminating at its forward end in a downturned flange 42. The extension 4| has a fore and aft slot 43; and slidably mounted on the extension 4| is a plate 44 carrying a vertical pin 45, similar to the pin 40, extending through the slot 43. An adjusting screw 46 is rotatably mounted in a hole in, the flange 42 and has threaded engagement with a hole in a depending lip 4'! on the front of the plate 44.

Inserted in the flattened free end portion of each of the cornice frame arms l4, l5, l6 and I1 and secured therein by a rivet 48, which also connects the bars l2 to the rods Ill and II, is the shank 49 of a sleeve 5|] of a size to slidably fit the bracket pins 43 and 45. In mounting the cornice on the brackets I8, these sleeves 50 are simply lowered onto the pins 40 and 45; and the front portion of the cornice can be then adjusted into a true vertical plane by simple manipulation of the adjusting screws 46.

While I have herein illustrated a cornice structure of rectangular form, it is evident that the described structure may easily be embodied in a cornice of continuously curved or bowed form, as Well as in a non-adjustable cornice wherein the upper and lower frame members such as H] and H each consist of a single continuous rod.

In other respects the details of structure and arrangement may be modified as desired or required to meet particular conditions of different installations, Within the purview and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A window cornice to conceal the upper ends of window drapes, comprising parallel upper and lower spaced rods, spacers for maintaining said rods a fixed distance apart, a strip of cloth to match the drapes mounted in the space between said rods, and means for locking said spacers to a said rods.

- 2. A window cornice to conceal the upper ends of window drapes, comprising parallel upper andv lower spaced rods, a thin panel of flexible sheet material occupying the space between said rods, a cloth covering for said panel matching the cloth of the drapes, and spacers for maintaining said rods and panel in fixed relative position.

3. A window cornice to conceal the upper ends of window drapes, comprising parallel upper and lower spaced rods, a thin panel of flexible sheet material occupying the space between said rods, a cloth covering for said panel matching the cloth of the drapes, intermediate and end panelbacking and rod-spacing plates behind said panel, and means for clamping the upper and lower edge portions of said plates to said rods.

4. An embodiment of the invention defined in claim 3, wherein the upper and lower rods are formed with rearwardly extending flanges on their respective upper and lower edges, and the longitudinal edge portions of the plates are formed with ribs engaged with said flanges to maintain the rods parallel.

5. A window cornice to conceal the upper ends of Window drapes, comprising parallel upper and lower spaced rods having rearwardly curved end portions, a thin panel of flexible sheet material occupying the space between said rods and formed with rearwardly curved end portions conforming to the curvature of the end portions of said rods, a cloth covering for 'said panel matching the cloth of the drapes, spacers disposed between said rods, and means for clamping said spacers to said rods.

6. A window cornice to conceal the upper ends of window drapes, comprising parallel upper and lower spaced rods having rearwardly curved end portions, a thin panel of flexible sheet material occupying the space between said rods and formed with rearwardly curved end portions conforming to the curvature of the end portions of said rods, a cloth covering for said panel matching the cloth of the drapes, intermediate and end paneLbacking and rod-spacing plates behind said panel, said end plates conforming to the curvature of the end portions of said rods and panel, and means for clamping the upper and lower edge portions of said plates to said upper and lower rods respectively.

'7. An embodiment of the subject matter of claim 6, wherein the upper and lower rods are formed with rearwardly extending flanges on their respective upper and lower edges, and the longitudinal edge portions of the plates are formed with ribs engaged with said flanges to maintain the rods parallel.

8. An embodiment of the subject matter of claim 6, wherein the upper and lower rods are formed with rearwardly extending flanges on their respective upper and lower edges, and the longitudinal edge portions of the plates are formed with ribs engaged with said flanges to maintain the rods parallel, the intermediate plate is slightly bowed lengthwise, and the clamps of said intermediate plate are applied at the longitudinal center of the latter to cause said intermediate plate to take a flat form.

9. The combination with a window cornice having rearwardly extending arms for attachment to a window-casing, of a drape-supporting rod behind said cornice removably mounted at its ends on the inner sides of said arms, and a central supporting bracket for said rod mounted on the rear side of said cornice.

10. The combination with a window cornice having rearwardly extending arms equipped on their inner sides with upstanding hooks, of a drape-supporting rod behind said cornice having rearwardly extending arms apertured to removably engage with said hooks, and a central supporting bracket for said rod mounted on the rear side of said cornice.

11. An embodiment of the subject matter defined in claim 2, wherein the upper and lower spaced rods are telescopic to adjust the cornice to windows of varying widths, and the panel and its cloth covering are cut to a length to fit any adjusted length of the cornice.

12. An embodiment of the subject matte-r defined in claim 6, wherein the upper and lower spaced rods are telescopic to adjust the cornice to windows of varying widths, the panel and its cloth covering are cut to a length to fit any adjusted length of the cornice, the end plates conform to the curvature of the end portions of the rods, and the intermediate plate is of a length greater than the distance between said rods.

JAMES H. BO YE. 

